A75287:852
Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The…
Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The means, duties, ordinances, both secret, private and public, for continuance and increase of a godly life, once begun, till we come to Heaven. Wherein are discovered many blessed medium's or duties, in their right method, manner and proceedings; that so a Christian (the spirit of Christ assisting) may walk on in the holy path, which leads from his new birth to everlasting life. / Drawn, for the most part, out of the most eminently pious, and learned writings of our native practical divines: with additionals of his own, by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes.Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The means, duties, ordinances, both secret, private and publike, for continuance and increase of a godly life, once begun, till we come to Heaven. Wherein are discovered many blessed medium's or duties, in their right method, manner and proceedings; that so a Christian (the spirit of Christ assisting) may walk on in the holy path, which leads from his new birth to everlasting life. / Drawn, for the most part, out of the most eminently pious, and learned writings of our native practical divines: with additionals of his own, by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes.
London: printed by John Field for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham, 1649London: printed by John Field for Nathanaell Webb and William Grantham, 1649
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. A sober, moderate, and self-denying use of Evidence-comforts: I speak not herein against the frequent actings of grace, or against the simply looking on them, or comforting our selves in them, especially under sad hours; but against the excessive, overflowing, over-loving way of Evidence-comforts, against the abuses thereof: which may be in these particulars; as 1. When we pore more frequently upon the comforts of our own gracious actings, then upon Jesus Christ and his death; when we live too much on the sight of a new-created birth in our selves, and the image of the second Adam, though indeed we have Christ himself to live on. 2. When we wonder so much at what is done in our selves by the grace of Christ, that we begin to ⟨p. 127⟩make a mixture of self therewith, and immediately we sit down and write of our selves an hundred in stead of fifty. 3. When we think graces and comforts so rooted in our selves, that we neglect God and Christ for the upholding, increase and exercise of them. 4. When we rest upon, and too much confide in the power of inherent grace, former revelations, and witnesses of Gods Spirit, which are all but creatures, acts of God upon us, and in us; and therefore in doing thus, we make an Idol of inherent grace, and put that trust in it, which we should repose in the Lord alone: and so, as the Lord speaketh,1 We go a whoring after our own hearts. Now all these flow from the corruption of our nature, and not from the nature of assurance; the product of true Evidences is, a praising of God for them, and a comforting our selves in them, as in the fruit of his eternal and unchangeable love: Our rejoicing is this, 2even the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world; but not a making of them the only or chief grounds of our hope and comforts, for God in this case may leave us to our selves,3 That no flesh should rejoice in his presence.
2. A sober, moderate, and self-denying use of Evidence-comforts: I speak not herein against the frequent actings of grace, or against the simply looking on them, or comforting our selves in them, especially under sad hours; but against the excessive, overflowing, over-loving way of Evidence-comforts, against the abuses thereof: which may be in these particulars; as 1. When we pore more frequently upon the comforts of our own gracious actings, then upon Jesus Christ and his death; when we live too much on the sight of a new-created birth in our selves, and the image of the second Adam, though indeed we have Christ himself to live on. 2. When we wonder so much at what is done in our selves by the grace of Christ, that we begin to